Adjustable saddletree.



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PATENTED APR. 11, 1905.

T. I. MORRISH.

ADJUSTABLE SADDLETREE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, 1903.

IIHIH "HHI l UNTTED STATES Patented April. 11, 1905.

PATENT @EETCE.

ADJUSTABLE SADDLETREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 787,206, dated April 11, 1905.

Application filed October 21,1903. Serial No 177,848.

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Be it known that l, THOMAS J. Moi-unsn, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the threaded bolt 1?). city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Saddlet-rees: and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The present invention relates to certain means for adjusting the. members of the saddletree so as to regulate the saddle for different-size horses and in the means employed to, hold the checkrein-hook centered irrespective of the adjustment imparted to the members of the saddletree, the object sought to be accomplished being to provide a simple and effective adjusting device which at all times shall be hidden from view, so as not to detract from the appearance of the saddle, and at the same time to provide means for holding the checkrein-hook from displace ment during adjustment of the saddletrec, which means also shall be hidden from view.

To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein-- Figure 1 is a front view of the saddletrec detached from the saddle, the members thereof being in adjusted position. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the saddletree, the adjusting means for the members being illustrated in position, said view also disclosing the securing means for the checkrein-hook. Fig. I") is a cross-sectional end view taken on line .r w of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. & is a similar view taken on line 1 of said ligure of thedrawings. Fig. 5 is a detail broken side view of the saddletree.

The numerals 1 and 2 are used to indicate. the members of the improved saddletree, to which the saddle-skirts (not shown) are attached. These members are hinged at their upper end by means of the pintles 3, which pass between the ears-t 5, depending from the inner face of the members 1 2. respectively.

\Yithin seats 6 T, formed by the spaced walls 8 8 and 9 9, depending, respectively, from the inner face of the members 1 2, the

blocks 1O 11 are. located, which blocksare engaged by the right and left handed screw- Said bolt works through the walls 8 and 8 of the seats 6 T. The bolt 13 is preferably operated to force the hinged members 1 2 apart and draw the same together by means of a suitable hand-wrench (not shown) which engages with the square body portion 13 of the bolt 13. To enable a wrench to be used while. the tree is upon the horse, the rear edge llange H of the said tree is cut away at H, so as to permit of a small hand-wrench being inserted through snchcutaway portion.

The operating-bolt 1 is entirely hidden from view when the tree is in use. Hence the appearance of the saddle is not detracted from. Also by so locating the adjusting means as to completely hide the same there is no danger of the said adjusting device being tampered with to change the proper adjustment of the saddle to the horse.

To permit of the members 1 2 being moved inward and outward or toward and from each other to obtain proper adjustment for the horses back, the hook 15 for the back-strap of the harness is a split one.

Inasmuch as the position of the members 1 2 varies with each adjustment it is essential that the checkrein-hook 15' be so connected to the tree as to maintain its centered position at all times. This requires that the said hook be movably secured thereto, but held lirmly against displacement. This may be accomplished in various ways, the simplest of which is to cutaway portions of the inner surface of the sections 1 and adjacent their contiguous edges. forming a well 16, with which communicates a vertical opening 17, formed through the top edges of the members '1 2. \Vithin and through this vertical opening is dropped or litted the stem 16 of the checkrein-hook 15. The lower end of said stem is screwthreaded, which end extends into the well 16. Upon the stem is litted the spiral compressionspring 17, one end of which bears against the shoulder 17', formed at the bottom of the well 16. The opposite end of the compressionspring bears against the plate 18, slidable upon the lower end of the stem 16, which plate is held onto the stem by the tightening-nut 18. I hidden from view, a checkrein-hook fitted The said plate 18 straddles the well 16, bearl through the members of the saddletree, and

ing upon the side walls 19 thereof. By screwing up the nut 18 the spring 17 is compressed, so that by its pressure the checkrein-hook is held firmly to its seat irrespective of the adjustment given to the tree members.

By means of the described adjusting device ,the tree members may be quickly and easily adjusted to regulate the saddle to differentsize horses, while at the same time the outer appearance of the saddletree is in no manner detracted from.

I am well aware that various means have been employed for adjusting the tree members toward and from each other; but such devices are not hidden from view nor is the checkrein-hook of such saddles so arranged as to maintain a center position to the saddletree in accordance with the adjustment given to its members.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be protected by Letters Patent, is-

1. A saddletree comprising two hinged members, an adjusting device common to the members for opening and closing the same, said device arranged within the upper portion and sides of the saddletree so as to be hidden from view.

2. A saddletree comprising two hinged members, an adjusting device common to the members for adjusting same toward and from each other, said device arranged within the upper portion of the saddletree so as to be compressing means for holding the said hook centered independent of the movement of the saddletree members.

3. A saddletree comprising two hinged members, means engaging with the under face of the members for adjusting the same toward and from each other, a checkrein'hook having a stem, said members having a vertical opening therein through which the stem of the said hook extends and a well or seat formed on the inner face of the tree members, a tension-spring fitted upon the hook-stem, a pressure-plate against which said spring bears, and an adjusting-nut secured to the lower end of the said stem.

4. A saddletree comprising two hinged members, an adjusting device common to the members for adjusting the same toward and from eachother, and a separable hook formed of complementary members upon the upper surface of the respective hinged members.

5. A saddletree comprising two hinged members, an adjusting device common to the members for adjusting the same toward and from each other, and a sectional hook member adjustable by the movement of the hinged sections.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS I. MORRISH. Witnesses:

N. A. AOKER, BEN. STERN. 

